Novel avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in tree sparrow, Shanghai, China, 2013.

In spring 2013, influenza A(H7N9) virus was isolated from an apparently healthy tree sparrow in Chongming Dongping National Forest Park, Shanghai City, China. The entire gene constellation of the virus is similar to that of isolates from humans, highlighting the need to monitor influenza A(H7N9) viruses in different species.

Integrated omics analysis reveals a correlation between gut microbiota and egg production in captive African penguins (Spheniscus demersus).

The egg production of captive African penguins differs considerably between individuals. An understanding of the physiological differences in African penguins with relatively greater and lesser egg production is meaningful for the captive breeding program of this endangered species. The objective of this study was to investigate differential microbial composition and metabolites in captive African penguins with different egg production. Fecal samples were collected from captive female African penguins during the breeding season. The results of 16 S rRNA gene sequencing showed that African penguins with different egg production had similar microbial diversities, whereas a significant difference was observed between their microbial community structure. African penguins with relatively greater egg production exhibited a higher relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria, Rhizobiales, Bradyrhizobiaceae, Bradyrhizobium and Bosea. Meanwhile, penguins with relatively lesser egg production had an increased proportion of Klebsiella and Plesiomonas. We further identified a total of 1858 metabolites in female African penguins by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Among these metabolites, 13 kinds of metabolites were found to be significantly differential between African penguins with different egg production. In addition, the correlation analysis revealed that the egg production had significant correlations with most of the differential microbial bacteria and metabolites. Our findings might aid in understanding the potential mechanism underlying the phenomenon of abnormal egg production in captive African penguins, and provide novel insights into the relationship between gut microbiota and reproduction in penguins.

An amateur gut microbial configuration formed in giant panda for striving to digest cellulose in bamboo: Systematic evidence from intestinal digestive enzymes, functional genes and microbial structures.

The giant panda has been considered to maximize nutritional intake including protein and soluble carbohydrates in bamboo, but it has spent almost entire life with the high-cellulose diet. Whether giant panda is still helpless about digesting bamboo cellulose or not is always contentious among many researchers around the world. The work has systematically clarified this issue from the perspectives of digestive enzymes, functional genes, and microbial structures in giant panda gut. The intestinal cellulase activities of panda increase with bamboo consumption, performing that the endoglucanase activity of adults reaches 10-fold that of pandas first consuming bamboo. More abundance and types of microbial endoglucanase genes occur in bamboo-diet giant panda gut, and the corresponding GH5 gene cluster is still efficiently transcribed. Gut microbes possessing cellulose-degrading genes, belong to the phylum Firmicutes and some Bacteroidetes, but their structural and functional configurations are insufficient to completely degrade cellulose. Therefore, giant panda is striving to digest cellulose in bamboo, but this adaptation is incomplete. This is probably related to the short straight carnivore-like gut structure of the giant panda, preventing the colonization of some efficient functional but anaerobic-preferred flora.

Succession of Intestinal Microbial Structure of Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) during Different Developmental Stages and Its Correlation with Cellulase Activity.

The interaction between intestinal microbial flora and giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is indispensable for the healthy development of giant pandas. In this study, we analysed the diversity of bacteria and fungi in the intestines of six giant pandas (two pandas in each development stage) with a high-throughput sequencing technique to expand the relative variation in abundance of dominant microbes and potential cellulose-degradation genera in the intestines of the giant pandas and to explore the correlation between dominant microbial genera in the intestines and cellulose digestion activities of giant pandas. The results showed that the intestinal bacterial diversity of young giant pandas was higher than that of sub-adult and adult giant pandas, and Shannon's diversity index was about 2.0. The intestinal bacterial diversity of giant pandas from sub-adult to adult (mature stage) stage showed an increasing trend, but the intestinal fungal diversity showed no considerable regular relations with their ages. The microbial composition and abundance of giant pandas changed in different developmental stages. Pearson correlation analysis and path analysis showed that there was a close relationship between the dominant microbes in the intestines of giant pandas, and the interaction between microbial genera might affect the cellulose digestion ability of giant pandas. Generally, the digestibility of cellulose degraders in pandas was still insufficient, with low enzymic activity and immature microbial structure. Therefore, the utilization and digestion of bamboo cellulose still might not be a main source of energy for pandas.

Mirror responses in the common hill myna (Gracula religiosa) and the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus).

Scientists have spent great efforts exploring self-recognition in non-human animals using the mirror test. In avian species, some of the passerines have passed the test, although the findings are still under debate. The present study aimed at investigating mirror self-recognition ability and making a comparative study of mirror responses in two avian species, the common hill myna from the Passeriformes and the African grey parrot from the Psittaciformes. The subjects underwent four stages of experiment: habituation, baseline, mirror exposure and mark test. Our subjects spent significantly longer time in gazing into the mirror than the plexiglass as control. We also found they significantly increased the durations of grooming behaviour when presented with the mirror. No species difference was detected in the above two behaviours. However, the African grey parrots were more likely to approach the mirror than the common hill mynas, indicating their different ways of mirror exploration. All subjects failed to pass the mark test. In this study, we found no evidence of mirror self-recognition in the common hill myna and the African grey parrot.

Effects of landscape heterogeneity and breeding habitat diversity on rice frog abundance and body condition in agricultural landscapes of Yangtze River Delta, China.

Amphibians play a key role in structuring biological assemblages of agricultural landscapes, but they are threatened by global agricultural intensification. Landscape structure is an important variable influencing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, in the Yangtze River Delta, where a "farmland-orchard-fishpond" agricultural pattern is common, the effects of landscape construction on anuran populations are unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of agricultural landscape parameters on the abundance and body condition of the rice frog (Fejervarya multistriata), which is a dominant anuran species in farmland in China. Employing a visual encounter method, we surveyed rice frog abundance for 3 years across 20 agricultural landscapes. We also calculated the body condition index (BCI) of 188 male frog individuals from these agricultural landscapes. Landscape variables, comprising landscape compositional heterogeneity (using the Shannon diversity index of all land cover types except buildings and roads), landscape configurational heterogeneity (using landscape edge density), breeding habitat diversity (using the number of 5 waterbody types available as breeding habitats), and areas of forest were also measured for each 1-km radius landscape. We found that the amount of forest in each agricultural landscape had a significant positive relationship with rice frog abundance, and breeding habitat diversity was positively related to the BCI of male rice frogs. However, body condition was negatively impacted by landscape configurational heterogeneity. Our results suggested the importance of nonagricultural habitats in agricultural landscapes, such as waterbodies and forest, to benefit rice frog population persistence.

First report of Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) from king ratsnakes (Elaphe carinata) in Shanghai, with description of a new species.

Hepatozoon species are the most common hemoparasites of snakes. In this study, Hepatozoon parasites were examined for the first time in king rat snakes (Elaphe carinata) from Shanghai, China. All 10 snakes were found to be infected with Hepatozoon gamonts. The gamonts were folded back in a hook-wise fashion for about 3 µm at one end. Parasitemia levels ranged from 4-43 infected erythrocytes per 1,000 examined. The gamonts changed the morphology of the parasitized erythrocytes. Although the gamonts showed some distinct variations in both the parasite and its nucleus, phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the E. carinata in this study formed a monophyletic group, and were distinct from all other published Hepatozoon species. A new species, Hepatozoon chinensis, was proposed based on the molecular and morphologic evidence.

A novel highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza virus isolated from a wild duck in China.

Migrating wild birds are considered natural reservoirs of influenza viruses and serve as a potential source of novel influenza strains in humans and livestock. During routine avian influenza surveillance conducted in eastern China, a novel H5N8 (SH-9) reassortant influenza virus was isolated from a mallard duck in China. blast analysis revealed that the HA, NA, PB1, PA, NP, and M segments of SH-9 were most closely related to the corresponding segments of A/duck/Jiangsu/k1203/2010 (H5N8). The SH-9 virus preferentially recognized avian-like influenza virus receptors and was highly pathogenic in mice. Our results suggest that wild birds could acquire the H5N8 virus from breeding ducks and spread the virus via migratory bird flyways.

[Species composition and biodiversity of fish community in Dalian Lake, Shanghai].

A field fish survey of Dalian Lake, Shanghai was undertaken in Apr. 11-19, Apr. 27-May 8 and May 20-29, in total 24,061 fish individuals were collected, representing 22 species from 17 genera and 11 families. The dominant specie is Carassius auratus, accounting for 76.38% of the total. The eigenvalues of species diversity were showing below : Shannon-Wiener's index (H') being 1.0027, Simpson's index (lambda) being 0.5959, Pielous's index (J') being 0.3244, Margalef's index (D) being 2.0816 and relative rare species (R) being 90.91%. The fish community could be classified into 3 ecological types, which including river-sea migratory fish (3 species), river-lake migratory fish (1 species) and sedentary fish (18 species). Also they can be subcategoried into five types according to feeding habits, i.e., piscivorous fish (9 species), invertebrativorous fish (2 species), omnivores fish (7 species), planktotrophic fish (3 species), herbivorous fish (1 species). The results suggested that the biodiversity index and fish community stability are both at a low level. Compare to the lower reaches of Huangpu River, the proportion of piscivorous fish in Dalian Lake is higher, which suggested the water quality of Dalian Lake, located in the upper reaches of Huangpu River, is better than that in the downstream. It's required to intensify supervision and strengthen the environment protection of Dalian Lake to guarantee the sustainable development.